


The Reckoning

by TupPillow



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Canon Gay Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 21:38:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19028443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TupPillow/pseuds/TupPillow
Summary: "You didn't have to be here.""Of course I had be here.""I know what they're going to say." Nico sighed, then turned back to Levi. "We both do."Nico and Levi await the final report on Josh Sterman's death.





	The Reckoning

"You didn't have to be here." Nico Kim's voice was low, almost inaudible.

"Of course I had be here." Levi Schmitt's tone was firm.

“Levi --"

" _Nico._ "

They turned and looked at each other. Nico shook his head and quickly looked away.

"I know what they're going to say." Nico sighed, then turned back to Levi. "We both do."

"We don't!" Levi whispered intently. "If we did, what would be the point of this meeting?" Levi gestured to the window of the conference room. From their chairs, they had been watching Miranda Bailey talking with an older man, going over a thick binder of a report.

"Levi," Nico began again, "they have to meet with me. The regs require it." Nico sounded so tired, almost defeated. "I know what the investigation found. I killed Josh. It was my fault." Nico closed his eyes. "Case closed."

Levi wove fingers into Nico's. He squeezed Nico's hand. "It's not that cut-and-dried, Nico." Levi squeezed again. "It's just not." A heavy silence fell between them.

In the weeks since Josh Sterman’s death, every person involved with the incident had been interviewed by the hospital's review board staff. The toll on Nico Kim had been harrowing. Levi had done everything he could to help his boyfriend while the process played out. Some days Nico could barely speak. The consuming anger he had confessed to Levi on the day they'd reconnected would sometimes flare without warning. Then Nico's guilt would overwhelm him. There had been a lot of nights with Levi holding his crying boyfriend in his arms.

Nico finally broke the silence. "Levi, whatever happens, I want you to know something." Nico squeezed Levi's hand now. "I could never had gotten through this without you. I owe you - everything. I love you." Nico pulled Levi's hand to his lips and kissed it. Levi wrapped his other hand around their intertwined ones.

"I love you, too. I always will." Levi's voice started to break. He took a deep breath. "We're in this together."

The conference door flew open. Doctor Bailey stood in the threshold. Her face seemed determinedly neutral.

"Doctor Kim, we're ready for you now." Bailey's gaze turned to Levi. "Doctor Schmitt -- you understand we need only Doctor Kim in the meeting." Levi nodded. Bailey's face softened, just a bit. "It was good of you to come, though." The trace of her smile made Levi feel just a little better. She turned to Nico. "Doctor Kim?" She waved Nico into the room.

Nico and Levi rose. Nico turned to Levi, locking eyes, not smiling. For a moment, everything that had happened in the last six months -- the elevator kiss, the ambulance, the first confession of love, the coming out in the basement -- seemed to flash between them. Then Nico turned and walked into the conference room. Bailey followed, closed the door, and the pulled the blinds at window, causing Levi to close his eyes and sink back into the hallway chair.

***

"Please take a seat, Doctor Kim." Bailey was brisk. Nico sat slowly at the polished table. "Let me introduce Doctor Alan McHenry. He's the chair of the Review Board and has been supervising the investigation into Josh Sterman's death." Nico turned to McHenry, and nodded.

"Doctor Kim, thank you for joining us today." McHenry smiled at Nico, his tone professionally friendly. "I want to say, at the outset, how much I appreciate your cooperation during this process. I know how difficult it must have been." McHenry smiled again.

 _No, you don't,_  Nico thought sourly. Nico willed himself to nod again and remain silent.

"Doctor Kim, I will be brief." Nico stiffened. _Here it comes_. "We have done a thorough investigation. We have examined everything that happened during Josh Sterman’s procedure. All materials, all decisions, everything. And we made a surprising discovery."

Nico cocked his head. "What was that?"

Doctor McHenry opened the thick binder in front of him. "Doctor Kim, there was a serious flaw in the spinal cement. One you could not have known about."

Nico, at first, wasn't sure he’d heard right. "A - flaw? But I prepped it --"

"Absolutely according to the standard protocol that the manufacturer mandates. You did. What we found was that that batch of cement was flawed in such a way that standard protocol resulted in the mixture being too thin. Which resulted in the rupture, which resulted in Josh's pulmonary artery being compromised." McHenry looked at Nico. "The flaw wasn't anything you could have known in advance. Doctor Kim, you were not at fault."

Nico stared at McHenry. His words echoed in Nico's mind. _You were not at fault._

Nico suddenly realized he'd been holding his breath. He exhaled and put his face in hands. The chronic burning knot of his anger seemed to dissolve in his chest.

"Doctor Kim." Bailey's voice caused Nico to drop his hands. Nico turned to her as she turned in her chair to face Nico squarely. "I owe you a profound apology." Bailey locked her gaze onto Nico. "I allowed my personal feelings for the Sterman family to prejudge the situation. I was distraught. We all were. But that's no excuse." Bailey shook her head. "I was harsh and unthinking." Her tone softened. "I'm sorry, Nico. I am truly sorry."

Nico's swirling mind calmed for moment. He gave Bailey a slight smile. "Thank you, chief." Was he dreaming all this?

"Doctor Kim, we will share this report with our legal counsel." McHenry resumed his business-like tone. "We also discovered that the manufacturer, Jaxton Pharmaceuticals, has had issues with this particular cement formulation. I strongly suspect they will reach a settlement with the family." Nico bowed his head. McHenry smiled again. "I'm sure this helps ease your mind, Doctor Kim. Do you have questions for me?"

Nico looked up. "Can I...talk to Josh's family?"

McHenry shook his head. "I don't think that would be advisable. We still have some difficult conversations ahead. But I can assure you, they will know about this. And about how you feel." McHenry gave Nico a thin smile. "Doctor Kim, when I told you that I know how tough this has been for you, I meant it." McHenry closed his binder, and sighed. "I lost a patient, under similar circumstances, many years ago." McHenry glanced away from Nico for a moment. "I blamed myself, and I suffered because of it. I never had the opportunity to release myself from it, the way this report releases you." McHenry removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Then he stared at Nico sadly. "You're a brilliant surgeon, Doctor Kim. This is a fresh start. Make the most of it." McHenry cleared his throat. He turned to Bailey.

Bailey smiled at McHenry. "Thank you, Doctor McHenry.” She turned again to Nico. “Doctor Kim. I hope we can have a longer conversation very soon." Nico looked quizzically at her. "About your future. Hopefully here at Grey-Sloane." She smiled again. "We'd be lucky to have you."

For the first time weeks, Nico Kim smiled. Really, honestly smiled.

"Thank you, Chief Bailey. I look forward to it."

 _You were not at fault. You were not at fault._ The words swirled around Nico Kim like a cool breeze. _You were not at fault._

"Doctor Kim?" Bailey's voice broke his reverie. Nico saw her at the conference room window. "I think there's someone you should share this news with." Bailey snapped open the blinds. Nico saw Levi jump to his feet in hallway. Bailey gave Nico a mock frown. "Well, go on! Get out there!" Nico hurriedly got to feet. Wait! He turned back to McHenry. "Thank you, Doctor McHenry. For everything." He reached across the table and shook McHenry's hand. Then Nico rushed out. Bailey closed the door behind him, then turned the blinds shut.

***

When the blinds snapped open, Levi's heart skipped a beat. He jumped up, and saw his beautiful boyfriend's smile. He saw Nico shake the older man's hand, then watched as he strode out of the conference room. As the door shut behind him, the blinds slowly closed in the window.

Levi Schmitt held his breath. Nico slowly walked to Levi, the smile still on his face. That smile! It'd been so long since Levi had seen Nico's real smile. Nico slowly wrapped his arms around Levi's waist.

"What?" Levi asked softly. Nico kept smiling. "Nico! _Tell me!_ What happened?"

Nico shook his head, in wonderment. "I got my life back, Levi." Nico leaned in and kissed Levi. A kiss Levi felt all the way to his toes.

Levi pulled back, his eyes shining. “So, are you gonna tell me or _what?_ ” Nico laughed.

“I will, but first, we need to celebrate.”

Levi slid his hands onto Nico’s chest. “Where to do you want go? Joe’s? Or --”

Nico shook his head. “I think I’d like to head to a certain basement, that serves the best chicken noodle soup in town.”

Levi stared up at Nico, a stunned smile on his face. Then he pulled Nico in for a tight hug. Nico slowly rested his head on top of Levi’s.

They were in this together.

Case closed.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Nico and Levi needed closure on Josh's death. I hope it turns out like this. Because our boys deserve it.
> 
> Comments and kudos welcome. They help improve the work. Thanks for reading.


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